THE BLOG GUILD FALL MEET UP AT TULIP - RECAP

When my Inbox says, its a mail for a meet up with my favorite blogger ladies, I am always super excited. Last week, I headed to Tulip, a boutique at the Country Club Plaza, for a lovely evening for mingling and networking and fun.

It was the Fall Meetup of The Blog Guild. Smiles, hugs, wines and chocolates, the evening rolled on at a great note. I am always in the mood to shop, so it was good to scope out the latest trends which were there at Tulip. They have a very impressive collection, I must add. From 15, to 50, they have everyone covered. If you're headed downtown, pay a visit to this lovely boutique, and you can thank me later.

There were a few booths set up by some other brands and local vendors, so we all made a beeline to stop at all of them. From Beauty, to home decor to artisinal chocolates, we surely had quite a variety. Not only that, there were also a few major announcements and a few giveaways.I usually never win at giveaways, so it was quite a surprise, when I won one of them. Yay !

Beauty Brands 

Coveted Home

What Blogger Meet up is complete without all the catching up . And where there are Bloggers , there are loads of pictures, right ! Some old faces, some new.

Huge Thank you to The Blog Guild, Tulip, and all the other brands and vendors, for such a lovely evening. 

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BITE BEAUTY MATTE CREME LIP CRAYON - REVIEW

Do you have all your Make Up shopping lists ready? The biggest shopping event of the year is just round the corner. So I decided to bring forth a new Beauty Review - Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon. Check out my brand new Review Video on Youtube .

I was sent these Lip Crayons by Bite Beauty and Influenster for testing purposes. Huge Thank You to them. Blogger mail is such a perk . When you hear the word, Matte, you always feel concerned are they going to be over drying. I have a dry skin, so that's a major factor with me. The product dries to a Matte finish, but its very hydrating. It does not drag across the lips, as some Matte formulas tend to do.
As far as packaging goes, they have that soft velvety matte finish, and are a decent size for any lip product. I liked the fact that they had a sharpener at the base of the pencils, which makes it easier to keep them pointy .

Coming to Color Payoff, I must say they are very pigmented. Here are the swatches with just a swipe across my hand. I have a warm complexion, and am a C2 in MAC's face and Body Foundation for reference.

From Top : Glace, Red Velvet, Cava

 Glace is a color, which was that My Lips but Better kind of shade.  Its described as a Dusty Mauve and is a great every day lip color.

Glace 

Cava

Cava is described as a Lilac Beige. And it does justice to its purple notes. For me, it was the last favorite of the bunch I received. I prefer pinkish nudes as such a color washes me out.

Red Velvet 

Red Velvet was my favorite shade of the trio. Its such a wearable red. And its very pigmented. I received compliments galore, when I wore this shade out for a day in town.

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MOTO JACKET DREAMS

I know everyone is crying hoarse for a Bomber Jacket. It has been on trend all year long, cutting across season. But when I was in the market looking for a new jacket, I steered in the exact opposite direction. Not that I dont like Bomber Jackets. No Not at all. I might be picking one up pretty soon. But my love story with Moto Jackets is an old one. I have quite a few in my collection,  I must add. Just like no two red lipsticks are the same, no two Moto Jackets are the same, even if both are black.

Its the GUESS Geonna Moto Jacket. And its not leather. Now that was a first for me. All my Moto Jackets so far have been leather. Its kind of a leather coated fabric which has a light sheen.

What drew  me to it were the detailing. I am a Chanel fan in all its avatars. The kind of quilting detailing on this jacket had a very Chanel vibe to it. t, In the same French spirit, I paired it with stripes and a bold red lip. Its such a classic combination, that its always flattering. Its no surprise that the booties had the same quilting detail going on The hardware is all gold .This outfit surely helped me bring out the hidden Parisienne in me.

I am petite, and when it comes to jackets I am usually a size Small. But when I was trying this Jacket on , I decided to go up a size. Somehow it made more sense with the fit and if I wanted to use it as a layering piece. Moreover the slight belly room, I got , made it easier to hide my problem areas.

I have been using it on repeat ever since I got it. Its surely an investment piece and I plan to get great wear out of it. When it comes to jackets and shoes, I always believe in investing in items which will see me through the current seasonal trend and beyond.

SHOP MY LOOK :

 

Orange Clutch ; TULIP

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FALL COLORS ON MY NAILS

Who doesnt love Fall colors ? Shades of flaming orange, citrine yellows, bright reds or even pale pinks. Nature's play with colors is just so magical. Like every other typical American family, i wait for this time of the year, to get my family pictures done. That palette is hard to let go of. This year was no different. I had been planning our outfits and looking forward to our date with the colorful leaves. Blame Global Warming or just bad timing, for some reason or the other, we have hardly had fall colors, in the city I call home, Some trees are still green, and some almost look like, they have been burnt or something. Even the popular places, which see a beeline of families queueing up to see their Fall colors, have had a weird tryst with Mother Nature. So no Fall colors and no pictures with Fall colors.

I was not happy to say the least.

It was time to do my nails. I usually do my nails on a Friday, which gives me crisp and brightly painted nails , through the weekend. As I was going through my stash, I realised there was this brand new nail polish, which I had completely forgotten about. Guess what it reminded me of. The missing Fall colors. I know I know, many of you might argue, that its a Spring Summer color I have on my nails, or I am in denial of what fall nails should be like. But somehow this color only reminded me of Fall colors, when I kept asking myself the question, whether or not to go with it, at this time of the year.

Its a muted orange. Its not neon. Its not coral. Its Butter London Jaffa . Bright colors are an instant pick me up . The quality of the polish was great and the application was easy. I am a sucker for great packaging, and this polish is quite impressive in that regard. It has a square cap, which comes off to reveal a smaller cap. Somehow the packaging gives off a very chic vibe,

I used a base coat , and then two coats of the polish. The formula made it very easy to work with. I added a top coat, as I do with all the nail polishes I use. It was fast drying, which is quite a savior for moms like me, who often don't have a long time to do their nails. I used it on my fingers, but I feel this color would be great for the toes too. The color pay off was quite good and it did not streak, when I was applying it.

Its priced at $19. I know for a nail polish, its on the pricey side, but the quality justifies the price.

Butter London, didnt disappoint, and I had a date with Fall Colors, even if they were on my nails. 

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A RECAP OF KCFW SS17 FRIDAY NIGHT

Photo by Mixplorology

Three nights of Fashion done, and I must say, my body was giving me signals.Fatigue was trying to raise its head. But there's always enough Coffee, when you know, you have work at hand. Got my outfit ready and headed to Union Station for the runway shows on Friday evening of Kansas City Fashion Week Spring Summer '17. Huge Thank You to KCFW for such awesome Front Row seats through out the season. Am truly honored.

The first show of the evening was Tattuage - Tattoo inspired body jewellery.  The pieces are crafted from metals and adhere to your skin. You can interchange and re-use them, so the possibilities are endless, when you decide to shop for your stash of Tattuage. The models wore monochromatic outfits, to show off their body art. Quite a glittery start, if I might add.

It was the second designer, who probably wowed everyone and anyone in the room, not only with her collection, but also with her awesome models. Childrenswear Designer Tonya Volk's line T Michelle had a collection, which was truly High Fashion for Kids. It had a fair play of monochromatic prints with a dash of florals. From drapey tops, to cutouts and even capes, there were a lot of current adult wear trends, simplified and made age appropriate. I am a Mom too, and I love to see my child, in her creations. 

Fouche Bridal by Nicole Fouche broke new grounds with a plus size model ensemble, who simply rocked the runway, in custom bridal wear. Fellow Blogger and Model Antonia Martin also walked the ramp, and I could not help cheering hard for her. Cinderella with an edgy twist, would be how, I would describe, her bridal wear collection.

I had loved Designer Alexis Cook's collection last season. SO maybe my expectations were a bit too high with her. I loved her color scheme this time. Bright Spring colors, with a mix of  florals and basket weave. But somehow she lost me at Structure.

Photo by Fashionplatekc

The second half began with KCFW favorite and Project Runway alumnus Michael Drummond. It was edgy, grungy with just the right amount of femininity. Drummond had created a custom print of florals, with print of eyes peeking out. His silhouettes were a throwback to the 60s , and the textured full hair , added to the period vibe of his collection. Jumpsuits are surely here to stay, in its myriad avatars, Drummond proved that.

There are always some collections, which always have a smudgy line between avant garde and haute couture. Designer Jesse Newton's line was one such line this season. Very very structured pieces, with very uncoventional fabric choices. The sheer trend, which has been seen across shows this seasons, was also present in this collection.

The second designer from Mississippi that evening, was Rachel Woodward, with her line RBW Designs. She brought back brocade on the runway, but her color palette was all Spring. Loved her use of greens and golds. Capes and Sheer layers are pretty recurrent trends for Spring Summer 2017, and she had a signature take on them. Very impressive collection.

 Asiatica, debuted on the KCFW with an impressive finale. Its a Kansas City based boutique which creates custom outfits from traditional kimonos and artisinal fabrics from Japan. They had the quintessential Japanese elements, but they brought it together in a proper haute couture collection. From Cherry Blossoms, to Obi belts and flowy kimonos to structured skirts, they surely knew how to create an impression.

And it was a wrap of Friday night of Runway shows of KCFW. Stay tuned to my Blog for all the updates from KCFw by clicking on the label called , Fashion Week, in the top Menu of the Blog. I shall be bringing in more Outfit posts and Recaps very soon on the Blog. 

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RAMEN DINNER AT SAMA ZAMA , KC

"Ramen is now, what Sushi was , maybe 10 years ago. " Mentioned Restaurateur Erika Koike. And she is right. Ramen is the trendiest item, when it comes to Eating Out, all across.

It might be super trending but to find actually good Ramen, is often a quest for a foodie. We were lucky to come across Sama Zama, in Westport, KC. Its been around for 10 years, so they know, what they are doing. And they are doing it right.

My husband and me were planning a Ramen dinner for some time. But we don't go downtown, now as much as we did, before we became parents. So when the shopping bags were full, and our feet achy, we needed some comfort food to settle down. The choice was between Dumplings for dinner at another favorite joint of ours in Westport, or scope out Sama Zama. We decided to head to the latter.

As soon as we settled in, I could not help but appreciate the decor . It was minimalistic, yet modern. Exposed brick, interspersed with statement walls. The owner and her interior designer, surely know how to appeal to the aesthetic of the millennial.

Coming to service, it was literally up in its game. I do a lot of eating out , being a foodie and a food blogger. Sometimes even so called fine dining joints, seem to forget that great service is irreplaceable. Our server was patient and quite well informed about the menu options. Loved her suggestions.

Now for the Food. The most important part of any dinning experience. As I was chatting earlier with owner Erika, she mentioned, that she her aim was to create authentic Japanese Food. She didn't like, how people tend to only associate Japanese food with Sushi. Maybe the mushrooming of Sushi joints across any and every strip mall, in the US, could be a reason for it. I totally understand what she meant by it. Living in the Midwest, and having Indian roots, I hate that there's hardly any decent Indian restaurant, which makes Proper Indian food, and not what is currently served.

We were debating between the Cha Shu Spare Ribs and Tengu Ushi (Jalapeno teriyaki seasoned steak). The spare ribs were caramelised with brown sugar in their dressing, so we skipped that , and went for the Steak. Every serving came with three skewers. The meat was tender yet not overcooked.

We had ordered for a Chahan (Fried Rice) for our daughter. Lets say we all dug in.

Time for the main course - Ramen. My husband opted for the regular and I opted for the spicy version of the Tonkotsu(Pork based broth) . Owner Erika explained that Ramen can usually have three Broth Bases, when we got chatty - Pork Bone broth, Miso broth or the Sho Yu Broth .

The portions were very generous, and came with the customary soft boiled egg and sea weed . The noodles had the perfect bite. The pork pieces were hearty, flavorful, yet not over done at all. And that broth, I could drink and slurp, every weekend. As mine was the spicier, it came topped with some sort of a chilly or spicy oil.I could handle the heat level .

We were a bunch of satisfied souls. I had a blog post, written and scheduled to go live at midnight. But the fact that i got back from dinner, sorted and edited pictures and got this post ready on time, is ample proof of the great time, I had.

Thank you Erika, and your lovely team for taking such good care of us . We will surely be back.

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